Seven Deadly Blog Commenting Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

From the beginning you should know, blog commenting is an Art. And, blog commenting mistakes are made by both the newbie and advanced marketers.

It is the beginning of establishing the know, like and trust factor. And, it is VERY important in establishing your authority online.

Is it that important?

Absolutely!.

A great blog comment can set you apart from the crowd. A bad one will make you look spammy or worse yet like you didn’t know what you were talking about!

I have literary built blog and the traffic it receives mostly through blog commenting, forum marketing and Q & A sites. I have had many successes. And, I had my share of failures.

But most importantly, I learned not to make these Five Blog Commenting Mistakes!

# 1 – Not Taking the Time to Read the Whole Article Before Blog Commenting

As explained above, blog commenting is something you should take VERY serious.

And, the sin of all blog commenting sins is not taking the time to read the whole article before commenting.

Here’s some friendly advice.

Don’t be a skimmer!

Skimmers are those who don’t understand the heart of blog commenting. Usually, they skip all the way to the end of the post to be sure they will be able to leave their link before SKIMMING the article for its high points.

I would know. I once was a skimmer too.

Everyday, I would search for high industry blogs, skim the article and leave a less than desirable comment.

I was in a hurry. There were other task to perform. I had to rush if I was going to get them all done.

Ever been there?

Well, I found a solution. When I sit down to begin my work, I consider everything I have to get done.

Begin a new blog report;

Do keyword research;

Research my topic in Q & A sites and take notes;

Leave at least one comment.

I learned a mindset that says: I am doing research on my next topic ANYWAY.

If I take a note I feel is important to my article. I take a moment and thank the author and leave a friendly comment.

Skimming an article then leaving a shabby comment will work. But, it will have little if any SEO value. If you want to REALLY soar your SEO position, then realize your comments are content. And, you will never skim again.

# 2 – Not Taking the Time to Read the Other Blog Comments

In one of my guest post, I discuss how most ‘guru’s’ tell you you need to be one of the first to comment on a new blog post. Their reasoning is simple. “Comment first”, they say, “and you have a better chance of those commenting after you seeing your thoughts.

The problem I have with this approach is. It implies you are “searching” for a blog to comment on. Here’s what I mean:

In doing the research for this article I ran my keyword through Google. I found the “related” keywords and was shocked to find:

How to do blog commenting for SEO;

Blog commenting for back links;

How to find blog commenting sites.

Here’s where the problem came in.

You SHOULD NOT be blog commenting for SEO purposes (more later).

Blog commenting for back links is not necessary wrong if done correctly.

The Power of Replying

Let’s say, you find yourself on a blog post while you were researching your next topic. You found the article interesting and want to leave your thoughts.

As you reach the bottom, you see about two dozen other comments before you.

A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY HAS PRESENTED ITSELF!

Now, you get to harness the Power of Replying.

The Power of Replying refers to the speed in which you can become an “authority” by commenting and replying to other comments.

When you ignore other comments, you miss releasing the Power of Replying.

Read the other comments.

Observe the author’s reply.

And, join the conversation!

If this approach is taken, then blog commenting won’t become a task. It becomes a pleasure. And, you will become excited to join the blog commenting community.

# 3 – Not Adding Value

Even if you don’t care if you commit a couple of blog commenting mistakes, you better pay close attention to this one. Not leaving a high quality, value based comment can kill your networking abilities.

Remember, in the beginning of this article I stated blog commenting was an art?

Well here’s where it comes into play!

But, don’t worry. It is a skill both easy and fun to learn how to do correctly.

And, you should optimize it with the author’s keyword for that article if you know it.

This example shows how Vishwajeet Kumar knew the article keyword (blog commenting mistakes). And, He wanted to optimize his blog comment. So, he used the article’s keyword and two other variants of the keyword.

This now let’s Google know the article AND the comment are about blog commenting and blog commenting mistakes! And, because the two are relevant to each other, Google gives it a little more prominence in the rankings!

Another observation you can glean from Vishwajeet’s comment is how he shared his opinion for the community to see.

He believes blog comments should be authentic, genuine and relevant to the post. And, He is right!

# 4 – Not Sticking to the Topic

Not sticking to the topic of the blog you are commenting on can get you into a lot of trouble.

I see this a lot with “skimmers”.

They search for what they believe are high quality sites, leave comments and in the end they just wanted to leave a backlink back to THEIR blog or site.

You may be thinking then,

“What is the purpose of blog commenting if not to get high quality back links?”

The answer is simple. Professional bloggers comment on other blogs to:

Let the author know how much we enjoyed the article;

And let them know how helpful the article was to us!

We don’t SEARCH out blogs to comment on to leave a link. That is called “Black Hat” SEO. And, Google killed that practice long ago!

What we do is:

Determine the theme of our next article;

We research the topic and take notes for our post.

Any post we find congruent to our new project, we simply let the author know how helpful their article was!

And, if you follow this principle, you will never go off topic when blog commenting again.

“…If you’re serious about using WordPress blog commenting to drive visitors to your blog, generate leads, get email subscribers and get more sales, you need to connect your email address to a Gravatar first….” – Neil Patel

Conclusion

That’s right! Blog comments are considered content by Google. So, I am adding this SIXTH and final blog commenting tip. Be sure you use any keywords or related keywords in your comments that are congruent with the theme of the post.

When you do this, you help the author rank his post, thus causing more people to be exposed to your content (comment) and people WILL take notice and follow YOU!

I hope these tips help you not break any of the blog commenting mistakes I made in the beginning when I started.

Bubbie I was finding it difficult to leave your blog without going through this article. After this comment, I’m already tempted to click to “3 Magical Tricks to Use When Blog Commenting”. So you’ve succeeded to keep me stuck here for a good reason 😉

It’s rather bad that we can’t avoid readers skimming. It’s in our nature to skip over things in other to cover more within the short time we have.

But here is the point Bubbie…

I’d prefer thoroughly reading and dropping engaging comment on 5 blogs a day to skimming through 20 blog posts and messing up in the comment area.

Given that my primary reason for commenting is relationship building, I often take my time.

In response to your comment Mr. Estine, you have defiantly discovered the secret to blog commenting. It is not necessarily to help create back links but to help build RELATIONSHIPS!
I am happy you stopped by!

I was reviewing past comments and came across this one.
I would like to thank you again for such a warm compliment on my article.

In reference to your point about “skimmers”, I have discovered how we can stop them in their tracks and make them sit up and pay attention to our every word.
When sometimes your stuck, considering exactly what image to use in an article, consider a meme.

For those that did not know, Meme Marketing is quickly becoming the latest fad. People love them. And, they will STOP to see what the meme says.
If you (or anyone) else would like to learn more about Marketing with Memes, head over to The Giveaway ZoneThe Giveaway Zone

Your right, Bubbie. All are big boo-boo’s!
Gotta get a feel for a post before commenting and also helps to personalize each comment.
I like spending a minute or 2 to share my thoughts in genuine fashion. Even if the comment is not super long or thorough, doing show displays that I care. Caring makes you stand out. Also proves you are not just sniffing for back links.

Thanks Ryan!
And, your right! That is a wonderful lesson in and of itself “spend a minute or two to share your thoughts”
I happen to discover the power of blog commenting at the same time I did Forum Posting.
Best Wishes Around the World My Friend

I wanted to share that I know Ryan and actively pay attention when I see his name and new content online anywhere BECAUSE he commented in my blog.

It really isn’t that hard to stand out on most blogs because we don’t get great comments unless we make the time to go out commenting ourselves. And when we do that, we can easily double our traffic.

I know because I have tested that myself and sometimes am so busy with client projects that I don’t have time to rad and comment. My first priority when the big community launch I’ve been working on smooths out is to actively be commenting and participating in Twitter chats and some Facebook groups.

My favorite blogs are the ones that are still using CommentLuv. I want to let people know who do that Deborah Anderson of SocialWebCafe said Andy told her she could take over updating the CommentLuv plugin. She is finishing up her doctorate, but hopefully that will happen and we can keep CommentLuv going – and get our favorite bloggers who aren’t using it now to bring it back.Gail Gardner recently posted…WordPress Gutenberg Mandatory Change Dec 6 2018: Why You MUST DO THIS NOW!

Wonderful and Awesome post. Blog commenting is an art.
The more you do, the more you learn.
I was also once a skimmer when I have started my blogging career.
You know doing blog commenting for the sake of getting backlinks does not make any sense. It is just a vague practice.
Blog comments must be authentic, Genuine and relevant to the post. It must generate a positive and engaging conversation.
You are right, Blog commenting does help you to build a strong bond and relationship with bloggers. This is the way I have connected with so many bloggers. Thanks for showing up these blatant blog commenting mistake.

Hi Rana,
Glad you found value! I strive everyday to provide content that will help you move your business to the next level.
If you like blog commenting as a way to grow your online presence and authority, then your going to LOVE my newest postHow to Use Question and Answer Sites to Increase Online Authority
And, don’t forget to visit our Forum and leave your thoughts!

You could say I’m a professional skimmer, but that’s for a reason. It helps me identify which blogs are really worth my time. For example, I skimmed this article before deciding whether I should read it in full. Usually, because bloggers are so lazy, they just repeat what’s already been published elsewhere. I’m so glad that this article doesn’t follow any previous structure.

Blog comments are the most reliable way to build a good relationship. Simply because you are giving away value without expecting anything in return. When other bloggers notice that, they know you are genuine.

And you were 100% right. Most of the time, the blogs I comment on are blogs I found in the research phase of my writing process. It helps me find new ideas, both in the blog post AND the comment section. And I’m always surprised when a blog has the comments disabled. What a missed opportunity!

Hi Stefan,
Great to hear from you. And, I am glad you enjoyed the article on the Five Deadly Blog Commenting Mistakes!
Thank you for your gracious comment.
I, like you, find most of the information online to just be repetitive and really no help. I try and look behind the curtain and see the bigger picture for whatever topic I am studying for my next article. I do my best to be “Original”!

You seem to have a good grasp on the power of blog commenting. Have you studied Forum Posting too? It’s just as powerful in helping to establishing online authority. I would love to see you over on the Network Marketing Mastery Forum where we answer questions for beginning marketers and advanced ones as well…
Swing by. Say hello. Leave an answer that might help someone

“Five Deadly Blog Commenting Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make” is a great article, thanks for sharing such insightful content with the world.

I only skimmed through, (joke) but I particularly agree with #3 so I’d like to offer an alternate view to commenting.

Commenting on blogs is really something that seems to be utilised by bloggers to reach out and connect with other bloggers.

Some are good comments and are classified as content, and some are bad and are spam. Used correctly, commenting CAN be a great SEO tool and way to connect with other bloggers, and there are some but here’s the thing: You may have the time to go through all the comments, take the time to reply and then go out and search for blogs to comment on, but all of that takes time and energy.

Imagine you have so much traffic to your site, with so many people leaving comments you need to spend half your day going through them or hire an assistant to reply to them all and weed out the spam.. What do you do?

Do you deal with the spam or just turn it off?

Though it may seem counter productive at first, there are bloggers out there that have disabled commenting from their blogs entirely so as to free up more time and energy to create even more great content, on more platforms for their readers.

In essence: Rather than spending ones time commenting, spend that time creating content and being everywhere online. There are other ways to connect with your audience that are more engaging, less time consuming, and still have the desired result of driving more traffic to your blog, AND connecting with others.

Yes, I agree that comments like:
“Great blog!” or “Loved your post!” can do more harm than good.
But, I also believe that not everyone is willing to share their true opinion online and risk being judged.

I also agree that when we come across a “generic” comment is hard not to take it personally and feel disrespected.
After all, we invested a lot of time writing that article. However, on the other hand, I believe people that make such comments are not the people we intend to attract in the first place.

All the points that you told are perfect!
We can’t comment anything valuable without going through the whole post.
Skimming is not an option when you aim to make a good understanding with other bloggers.
This is why I agree with your first blog commenting mistakes!

Also, the element of surprise here is The Power of Replying.
I seriously do not reply to other people’s comment considering that the personal matter between the author and commenter 😀.

But you are right in your perspective and I am definitely gonna follow your advice.

Thanks for such a helpful post on how to avoid common blog commenting mistakes ☺.

This article is so helpful to me – I had not thought that you could make mistakes with blog commmenting! I knew you shouldn’t just put “great post” or anything equally as useless – but there’s so much more to it. Sometimes i do tend to skim read and I don’t always read all the other replies so I will definitely be taking the time to follow your tips on not making these deadly blog commenting mistakes! Thank you

This really is a great post. I know you say NOT to say that, but it is. I came across it in a fb thread and felt compelled to not just share it,but read the.whole.dang.thing! I’ve been wanting to build my networking abilities and commit to commenting more, but never put the time or effort. I’m a skimmer, another no-no, I know… *sad face* but I vowed to no longer be a Skimmer, but a whole hearted reader to the end. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING THIS!

Thank you for this article – it was a very interesting read. I have never thought of it in terms of introduction, body and conclusion, But it makes absolute sense. We are often too busy and with a hectic life it can be busy to read things properly. I mean I juggle a full time job, a baby and a masters degree with blogging… Spare time is hard to find. I do however appreciate well thought out comments to my blog. So I think I will spend time reading less blogs and comment better.

Well the curtain has certainly been peeled back for me. I found this post very informative! I had no idea that blog posts comments were considered content and much more. This will change how I interact with others in the blogging community, as you said it is about connection learning the art of the craft and lifting each other up!

Perhaps you could answer a question? Why is it important to list your website when you comment on a blog post?

Hi Stacy,
Thank you for such lovely thoughts. I am glad you found value while you were here. Did you remember to subscribe?

You ask a lot when you inquired, “Why is it important to list your website when you comment on a blog post?”

What a can of worms, LOL! But, I will give it my best 60 second shot…

People leave, and are allowed to leave, links to their website:

1 – For backlinking purposes. There was a day when “backlinking” was important to Google SEO (and it still is just not as a ranking factor).
2 – Bloggers allow backlinks in comments because the more sites “linking” to your site, the more Google will give it prominance.

Wait…this is important to warrent serious attention not just a quick reply.

Ok.

Understanding Blog Commenting Backlinks -vs- Backlinking for SEO

Google learned a long time ago, people were using backlinking strategies to rank their content higher.
Most believe that Google threw the baby out with the bath water. But, they didn’t.

Backlinks are still important. And, a BLOG comment backlink has a LOT of weight! Google not only considers the fact that a link is there. They take into consideration the CONTENT the link represents!

Think about it.

Google is saying, “Yeah, we SEE your link. But, is it RELEVANT to the content it is linking to?”
THIS is how blog comments are considered content.

Google looks over the “comment” [content] and looks for relevant keywords

to the article IN THE COMMENT. This is one of my most beloved secrets to ranking blog comments.

When you leave a blog comment, try and determine what the authors keyword is for that article and use it in your comment at least twice.

Or,

Be sure to repeat the tile of the article in your comment.

Both of these hacks will tell Google your comment is relevant to the content the link is on.
And, it tells the article must be of good quality because people are interacting with it. And, the post moves up in the rankings.

Thank you for writing this post about blog commenting. I don’t comment on as many blogs as I should, but when I do I like to leave a thoughtful comment. Thank you for the tip on replying to the comments of others. On some articles I read, I see a lot of comments but don’t pay much attention to them. From now on I will use replying to others comments as a strategy and will keep the other tips in mind as well.Darcey recently posted…Valentines Day Gift Guide for Infants and Toddlers